23 February 2010

THE Football Federation of Brunei Darussalam (FFBD) is encouraging teams interested to compete in next season's DST Group Brunei Premier League II (BPL II) to start applying.

Tournament namesakes DST Group FC are 10th in the 11-team BPL II, with Kota Ranger at the bottom of the table.

Both teams have yet to win a match and will compete in a play-off at the end of the season, with the losers kicked out of the league to make way for a new side.

"We want the interested teams to apply as early as possible," said FFBD secretariat Johari Hj Bungsu during a draw for the DST Group Brunei FA Cup on Thursday.

"Five teams have already applied. The teams' inclusion will be based on their quality so we need time to asses them.

"Apply for BPL II though, not BPL I. If you give us $100,000 for sponsorship we'll let you play in BPL I," he joked.

Four of the teams who might apply are Rimba Star FC, Sabli's FC, Peninjau FC and Viva Rangers.

The four non-league teams will battle it out for a place in the first round of the DST Group Brunei FA Cup on March 1, and not since the 2004/05 season have non-league teams been handed a chance to play in the competition.

Undefeated the whole season, Liang Lumut Recreation Club Football Team (LLRC FT) were crowned champions of BPL II when they beat Menglait FC 2-1 on Feb 8 to earn promotion to BPL I.

The two bottom teams in BPL I, Brunei Shell Football Team (BSFT) and NBT FC will also compete in a play-off, with the losers relegated to BPL II.

QAF FC won the DST Group Brunei Premier League I for the third straight season when they beat AH United 2-0 on Tuesday.

FOUR non-league teams will battle it out for a place in the first round of the DST Group Brunei FA Cup on March 1.

Not since the 2004/05 season have non-league teams been given the opportunity to play in the competition, and the four sides will do their best to prove that they are worth of their places.

Viva Rangers face off against Rimba Star FC on March 1 while Sabli's FC and Peninjau FC take to the field the next day.

The winners of the two matches face each other for a spot in the tournament proper on March 5, with all three games set to be held at the Berakas Sports Complex in Berakas.

The knock-out competition will enter its first round on March 15 when the sole non-league team will be drawn with the 11 DST Group Brunei Premier League II (BPL II) teams.

The winners of the six matches will advance to the second round on March 27, where they will meet the 10 teams from BPL I.

It will be an open draw every round until the semi-finals. The final is slated for April 17, with the last date to submit team lists on Feb 25.

Yesterday's draw was made by DST Group Brunei FA Cup's chairman Liew Chuan Fue at the Football Federation of Brunei Darussalam (FFBD) office in Kiulap, after which FFBD secretariat Johari Hj Bungsu explained the competition's rules and regulations.

Of particular interest to the managers in attendance was the ban on transfers, with FFBD's 'no open transfer window' policy meaning that players have to play for the clubs they registered with at the beginning of the season.

Johari also outlined the reasons why non-league clubs have not featured in the FA Cup for the past five years.

"It is a problem of quality," he said.

"On and off the field, the clubs have to show professionalism and must have a high standard of management.

"This includes punctuality and adherence to the rules," he said, adding that in the past non-league clubs had failed to submit their start lists half-an-hour before matches.

Looking at what is up for grabs, the teams have all the motivation to keep the organisers happy.

The FA Cup champions will receive a challenge trophy, individual medals and $3,000 while the runners-up will receive individual medals and $2,000.

The Royal Brunei Armed Forces' Sports Council (MS ABDB) are the competition's reigning champions, beating Wijaya FC 1-0 in final of the 2007/08 season.

DEFENDERS beware, ex-DPMM FC hitman Shahrazen Hj Md Said will be on the loose next month!

The DST Group Brunei FA Cup will mark the return of the striker to competitive football, and he is set to play for non-league side Viva Rangers against Rimba Star FC on March 1 in the qualifying round.

Though the 25-year-old forward has played in several futsal tournaments and friendly matches since DPMM FC ended their Singapore League campaign last October, the standard of the competitions was nowhere close to the Brunei FA Cup.

Preferring to stay close to his family, Shahrazen famously shunned a move to Indonesia Super League side Persiba Balikpapan last November the striker also being courted by Malaysian giants Selangor and Pahang.

13 February 2010

A MD NADZRIN ABDULLAH brace helped AM Gunners FC to a 5-1 victory over Brunei Shell Football Team (BSFT) in their first match at the Belait district last night.

Solidifying AM Gunners' position at third in the DSTGroup Brunei Premier League I (BPL I), the result at the Brunei Shell Recreational Club football field in Seria cuts the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Sports Council's (MS ABDB) lead in second place to only one point.

With two games left for both clubs, the battle for second will go down to the wire until the season finale on Feb 27.

05 February 2010

Fifa in a statement to The Brunei Times denies international ban on Brunei football to be lifted in June 2013

THERE is still no light in sight at the end of the tunnel for Brunei football despite what was stated on DPMM FC's website.

Brunei's professional football club DPMM FC offered a glimmer of hope for football fans in the Sultanate when they announced on their official website that: "Brunei has been suspended by Fifa from international competitions until June 2013."

A good news since no 'liberation day' was mentioned previously.

When the International Federation of Association Football (Fifa) slapped a ban on the Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (Bafa) on Sept 29 thus banning the national football team and all club sides in the country from international competitions the sport's governing body only stated that "the suspension will run until Bafa is reinstated by the government".

So the liberation day in June 2013 as cited by the DPMM FC's website was greeted with joy by the fans as it meant Brunei would be back in international scene in just three years' time.

But, in a statement to The Brunei Times yesterday, Fifa swiftly rubbished the statement and re-affirmed its stance.

"We can confirm that Brunei is suspended until Bafa the only football-controlling body recognised by Fifa (in Brunei) is re-registered by the government."

A DPMM FC official, when contacted yesterday, said he had no idea about the supposed 'June 2013 liberation day'.

The official also said that he didn't know where the website obtained that date.

04 February 2010

QAF FC only need one more win to become the DSTGroup Brunei Premier League I (BPL I)champions for the third consecutive time when they crushed NBT FC 6-1 at the Berakas Sports Complex in Berakas last night.

"We only have to beat AH United next week to clinch the title and we will work hard to earn that win," said Rahim Hj Daud, manager of QAF. "That's all we need, one more win and for the last game be it a draw or lost, it doesn't matter anymore."

Unbeaten QAF showed another top class win against bottom dwellers NBT, making circles around the opponents on the field even though regulars Riwandi Wahit, Vivan Francis Bayong and goalkeeper Md Sahan Mumtazali did not feature in the match.